EMPTY SPACES DOCUSERIES

2020 was a strange year. before everything went fully pear-shaped, i was quite literally going around the globe working on a NETFLIX series called The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals. that was fine and all, but we got shut down in march, and while the parameters of that show were changing, a new opportunity presented itself.

Live Music Society, a grant organisation focusing on independent music venues, was looking to produce content for said independent venues. of course, the COViD situation provided a whole new story to explore. i developed the idea of short-form documentaries exploring both the stories of some of these venues and how those stories had been changed by the pandemic.

the idea was to produce a total of six of these, spanning (hopefully) the time between the initial shutdown and a return to a sense of “normal”.

as of this writing, four of the pieces are fully produced, with a fifth in postproduction. the story of COViD isn’t over, but with any luck, its impact on community, commerce, and even specifically the live music experience is diminishing significantly.

the first of these pieces focused on SOhO Restaurant and Nightclub. i was lucky enough to be able to interview a couple of music legends right out of the gate, with Alan Parsons (legendary producer) and John Kay (singer from Steppenwolf) both making appearances.

following the initial release were two Michigan venues, Seven Steps Up and 20 Front Street. each moved the story of the COViD pandemic in the context of live music forward a bit as restrictions lifted and the bigger picture started to come into focus.

the fourth installment, featured here, showcases the Hi-Dive, a unique and storied venue in Denver, Colorado. this piece represents some new approaches to a few things, like titles and general vibe; sort of a culmination of the spirit of the pieces prior.

the Hi-Dive edit nears completion, May 2021

interviewing Marika Clark for Empty Spaces: Hi-Dive (photo by Sarah McCauley)

you can see the other “Empty Spaces” documentaries on the Live Music Society youtube page, including the next piece, featuring Bed-Stuy venue C’mon Everybody, due out late summer 2021.

CREW:
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / DIRECTOR: chris morgan
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: mike ligon
AUDIO/2nd CAMERA: kevin bazell
POST: darkenergymedia

TECHNICALS:
CAMERA: BMPCC6K/4K
LIGHTING: Quasar Science
COLOUR: DaVinci (ACES)